The Cold Truth
by upsetrise
Summary: The Detective Boys are always following Conan, wanting to learn in his footsteps. But what if they went too far and actually uncovered his secret that he so desperately wanted to keep private.
1. Revelations

The Cold Truth

Revelations

Conan was on his way back from school, staring at the familiar building that the detective agency had become. He sighed as he pushed open the door, taking his outdoor shoes off. How long would it be until he could return until his original body? Was he just going to be stuck like this? He shook his head as he walked up the stairs, it wouldn't do any good to keep thinking like this.

He rubbed his nose and let out a small 'achoo'. Maybe those thoughts were coming from the developing cold that he seemed to be getting. There was nothing worse than a summer cold. He had been sneezing at school as well. If it got worse he would have to wear a mask.

"I'm home!'' He announced in his fake voice straining as high as he could. He walked into the room where Occhan could be found asleep with several cans of beers splayed around his desk lying next to the landline phone. Today was no exception; there he was snoring away with a unshaven face and rumpled suit. Conan rolled his eyes, this man didn't know the meaning of the word: responsibility.

"Did you have a good day at school today Conan-kun?" Ran asked as she came out of the kitchen wearing an apron over her shirt and jeans. Her long brown hair was tied back for once revealing her thin face and large blue eyes. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her as he sat down on the sofa.

"It was good Ran-nee-chan. Did ojji-san go out drinking again?" He beamed swinging his little legs back and forth.

Ran's face dropped and she rolled her eyes as she stared at the figure of her sleeping father. "I'll leave him be for the time being. We had a tough case last night, who would have thought that woman would have killed her own mother." She shook her head and headed back into the kitchen humming as she started to make dinner.

 _I'm the one solving all the cases. I think he does enough sleeping._ Conan thought in his head. "Ran-nee-chan what are we having for dinner?" He asked.

"I think some hamburger steaks tonight, would you like that?"

"Yeah." Conan agreed. As Ran returned to making the dinner. Conan felt a buzz in his pocket. He answered the phone.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Ah Shinchi!" The Professor's voice answered on the other side.

"What is it?" Shinchi answered deepening his voice and rolling his eyes.

"Ai-kun wants you to come over. She has a surprise for you."

Shinchi froze. "Suprise?"

"Yes! Yes! Now hurry over, she says she won't wait long." With that the phone line went silent. Shinchi placed his phone back into his pocket and got up off the sofa. Haibara had a surprise for him? He sweatdropped. Knowing her this couldn't be even good, it might just be some stupid plot to get him to do something for her it could be? Unless it was something else. Something he was always after. It couldn't be could it?

He started to run out of the room when Ran came out of the kitchen and was baffled when she saw him running.

"Where are you going Conan-kun?"

"The professor's. I'll be back later!" His voice carried up the stairs as he ran down them, slipping his shoes on and back out into the street. Ran watched him go out of the window as he ran down the streets. He was such a confusing boy.

It took Shinchi about ten minutes to reach the Professor's and by the time he got there he was panting and resting his hand onto the gate trying to catch his breath. It was at times like these he really hated his seven year old body. Once had gained most of his breath back, he entered the Professor's.

Haibara was currently drinking a mug of coffee and was sat on the couch watching as Shinchi came in.

"So you came Kudo-kun," She smirked as she set her mug down and walked over to him, her slippers making a shuffling sound as she approached him. "I'm guessing you figured out what this is?"

Shinchi gave his signature cocky smile "I have a good guess but I've got to say that this is unusual for you. You're not usually willing."

Haibara smirked back. "I'm giving you a second chance today because I felt like it. You must be careful though." Her smile dropped and she gave Shinchi a serious look. "You've not been careful before and it was thanks to my quick saving that your secret remained a secret. I'm only giving this to you for a trial. This antidote will last for about 24 hours. So be careful."

"Yeah, yeah." Shinchi agreed. He would be careful as he could but trouble just always seemed to find him.

"The antidote should work because you have a cold as well. Now when you feel like you're about to change back-", Haibara was interpreted by Professor Agasa carrying would looked like a toaster downstairs.

"Don't mind me!" He called as he went down the stairs with the toaster in tow. Haibara only gave him a passing glance while Shinchi just shook his head. Whatever the Professor was making now; nothing good could come of it.

"Well then are you ready?" Haibara asked. Shinichi nodded not trying to hide the massive grin that had appeared on his face.

Unknown to Haibara and Shinchi, three seven year olds were making their way to the detective agency.

"I can't wait to show Conan-kun this new game! Did you like he will like it Mitsuhiko?" Ayumi asked as she clasped the computer game in her hand.

"He will Ayumi-chan!" Mitsuhiko replied looking at her from the corner of his eye and trying not to blush as he saw how happy she was.

"I hope there's some juicy food!" Genta's grouchy voice chimed in as he rubbed his stomach. "I'm so hungry!"

"Is food all you think about?" Ayumi laughed as the three of them reached the detective agency. They knocked on the door awaiting someone. To their surprise it was Ran who looked worried when she saw them.

"Is Conan in?" They all asked together.

Ran shook her head. "Conan-kun just ran over to the Professor's. I would come with you but I'm in the middle of making dinner. If you go, will you tell him to hurry up or else his dinner will go cold."

The Detective Boys all nodded their heads and started on their way to the Professor's. They arrived quickly enough after running through the streets. The sky above them had started to turn a horrible grey and they were sure that the heavens would open. The quicker they got inside, the better.

As they approached the path, they could hear voices coming from the open window. They realised that it was Haibara and Conan talking. All three of them exchanged glances and grinned; this could be a chance to listen to what they were talking about. Haibara and Conan were always sneaking off and talking about strange things. It made the other three feel a little left out. They stayed by the window so they could hear more of the conversation.

"I will only say it once more Kudo-kun. Be careful."

"Kudo-kun?" Mitsuhiko whispered.

Ayumi and Genta just shrugged their shoulders as they went back to listening.

"I will Haibara." Conan was silent but there was the sounds of him swallowing something. As he soon as he was finished swallowing there was an ear piercing scream that came from Conan. It went right through his friends but even more so Ayumi. Tears appeared in her eyes as she heard him panting. She couldn't help herself as she got up from her crouch and pushed open the door to the lab. Genta and Mitsuhiko weren't far behind her.

She opened the door practically barging in, flanked by the other two. Conan and Haibara stared at her with wide eyes.

"Ai-chan, Conan's in pain!" She screamed as she watched him clutching his chest.

"You guys need to get out of here now!" Haibara shouted at them. She tried to push them out but still they were staring at Conan who now had steam coming off him.

"But Conan-kun-," Ayumi trembled but she stopped. In fact all three stopped and stared as they watched Conan starting to grow bigger.

 **This show is taking over my life but it has kinda rekindled my passion for fanfic writing. I may continue this but we will see what happens.**


	2. A Fake

**I'm still not sure where I'm going with this but getting into the groove of writing again is a bit weird. I think I'm still a bit rusty here and there but enjoy the chapter.**

A Fake

Shinchi could only grasp his chest as he stared at his friends. His mind wavered, some of the people that he had never wanted to find out but here they were, staring at him in horror. He started to crawl along the floor, trying to get away from them. He felt an arm around him and was staring into the Professor's face.

He didn't say anything as the Professor picked him up and took him downstairs. Shinchi clutched his chest once more and felt the familiar pain of growing as he quickly pulled Conan's clothes. He couldn't be going and destroying them. The Professor only looked grave as Shinchi finally looked at him back in his own body. He passed a blanket to him.

"I'll be back in a minute. You need some clothes Shinchi." He said going upstairs.

It didn't feel as if five minutes had gone by when he finally came back and passed a pair of jeans and t-shirt to him. When Shinchi was finally changed, he shared a strained look with the Professor.

"The kids. They saw me change back to Shinchi Kudo. What do we do now?" He mumbled staring at the ceiling.

"They looked quite scared. Ai-chan's got them sitting upstairs but we've got to tell them what happened."

"How do you explain that one of their friends just grew in front of their eyes?" He rubbed his head.

"I think we try and tell them the truth. I expected for Ran-kun to find out more than them but you're never careful." The Professor muttered. "Now come on we can't keep them waiting."

"Professor." Shinchi everyone always going to keep mentioning that he screwed up? With a reluctant sigh he went back up the stairs.

What greeted him was a shaking Ayumi trying to clutch a glass of water. Her eyes were all red and she kept sniffing. Gents and Mitsuhiko sat either side of her, looking at the floor and playing with their hands. Haibara sat on one of the armchairs with her arms folded. Her eyes followed Shinchi as he walked into the room.

"Kudo-kun." She acknowledged him as he came into the view of the detective boys.

All three of them shared a glance with each other. It was Ayumi who spoke first.

"You're Conan-kun right?" She mumbled. Her eyes welled up with tears again.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes and no."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuhiko shouted. He was clenching his fists. "You made Ayumi-chan cry! Answer her!"

"Yes! Answer her!" Gents joined in.

They were still treating him like he was Conan. They didn't know his true identity. He would have to tell them but by telling them, he was going to put them in danger.

Shinchi sighed. "My name isn't really Conan. My real name is Kudo Shinchi."

"As in the high school detective?" All three said together.

He nodded.

"Then how did you become Conan?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Some bad people. They gave me a drug which shrunk my body which I know is hard to believe but it happened. I had to become Conan to protect everyone. I can't tell you anymore than that or else you will be in danger. I never wanted you guys to find out."

He looked at the three of them as they processed the information. They looked like they had been told that their pet hamster had just died.

"So Conan is fake?" Ayumi cried. Her eyes welling up with tears.

Shinchi knelt down so he was at their level. It had only just occurred to him, how small and fragile they were. Was this what he looked like to adults when he was Conan? He must have looked pathetic but he wasn't a kid. The detective boys were.

He placed his hands on Ayumi's shoulders. She stopped and looked at him. Her cheeks blushing.

"Conan is still real. I'm only like this for about a day. So I will be Conan again soon. I'm still your friend aren't I? Conan may not be my real name but the camps we've been on and the adventures we've had. That was still me."

She wiped her eyes and nodded. She gave Shinchi a small smile which he took as a thank you.

"How did you become Shinchi again then?"

"The professor created a drug that allows me turn back for a time." He lied.

"Oh. Ai-chan was helping you though?" Ayumi asked.

"Yes. She knows." Was all Shinchi said. He was going to protect Haibara's secret. She was always in a lot more danger than he was and he didn't want the kids to know the truth about her.

"Then we can still call you Conan-kun?" Mitsuhiko asked Shinchi.

"Only in private. Call me by me real name."

"Shinchi-san then?" He looked unsure about the name but Shinchi nodded.

"You can't let anyone know that I'm Conan. They exist as two different people and that's the way I want to keep it, okay?"

"It's so confusing." Genta mumbled but Shinchi gave a nod and then Genta's stomach rumbled.

"I think we'd better have some dinner. Luckily I have some curry prepared." Haibara mentioned. The six of them had a quiet dinner. Although the detective boys had accepted that Conan was Shinchi. They still kept giving him glances. It made dinner seem tenser than it should have been.

"It's getting late. I really should go and see Ran before time's up." Shinchi said looking at his watch. The detective boys looked at him once again.

"Can we go with you?" They all chimed.

He shook his head. "No, you guys need to go home."

He waved goodbye to them. Luckily the Professor also had some spare shoes in his size that he put on and he ran out into the rain towards the detective agency. The detective boys whispered something together before putting their arms in the air and they too slipped their shoes on and went outside.

"They're going to follow him aren't they?" Haibara muttered.

The Professor laughed. "Those three are never going to learn. You'd better go follow them Ai-kun, you never know what trouble they will get into."

"It's not those three I'm worried about. It's Kudo-kun. But yes I'll follow them." She reached for an umbrella that was lying at the door's side and turned to the Professor.

"And don't you dare ordering any pizza this late again!" She shouted as she opened the front door.

"Yes Ma'am." The Professor nervously laughed as the door closed for the third time.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Shinchi pushed the door open and headed up the stairs. He wanted to see Ran. He didn't know how she was going to react. Ever since he had confessed to her in London, their exchanges had been rather distant but he knew that she would want to see him again. He knew that much.

He heard Ran in the office and went in. Kogoro was nowhere to be seen.

"Conan-kun you're late!" She shouted but just stopped and stared as she noticed who was standing in the same room as her. "Shinchi?" She mumbled.

"Hello Ran, it's been a long time huh?" He said leaning against the door.

Ran's eyes swelled up with tears. "How could you say that! Coming here late at night without even a phone call! I miss you and then you turn up out of the blue!" She shouted.

"Ran." Shinchi said. He walked over to her. The moonlight was streaming through the detective agency. She looked so beautiful. "I've missed you." Was all he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

Ran tensed for a second but relaxed and enjoyed the hug. "Despite it, I miss you too. Are you back for good now?" She asked.

He pulled away. "No. Only for a day or so. I just had a break in my clients to come and see you. I expect in a couple of days. I'll be busy with cases again."

"I see." Ran looked sad again and Shinchi's heart broke. He hated this; having to lie to her all the time. She was waiting for him and every time he came, he had to leave again.

There was a knock on the door. "Excuse me is this the Mouri Detective agency?" A woman's voice asked.

Both teenagers turned to see a middle aged woman wearing a purple dress and heels. Her hair was long and brown, that she flipped to the side as she looked at them both. She was quite beautiful but she looked worried as she only saw them.

"Yes it is." Ran replied. "Do you need something with my Dad?"

"Yes. I want him to search for someone for me."

Ran had no time to respond before another voice chirped up from behind the woman.

"It's a case! A case!" Mitsuhiko shouted with joy.

Shinchi only looked at them and laughed. Of course. He should have expected this.


End file.
